PLAY GUIDE

2018 2019

SCENE IN AMERICA

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CONTENTS

Contents ....................................................................................................................................................................... 1

About ATC .................................................................................................................................................................... 2

Introduction to the Play ............................................................................................................................................... 3

Note from the Playwright ............................................................................................................................................. 4

Cast and Creative ......................................................................................................................................................... 5

Historical Context – Mariachi in the USA ................................................................................................................... 6

Works Cited .................................................................................................................................................................. 7

Glossary of Spanish Terms ......................................................................................................................................... 7

Secondary Classroom Guide .................................................................................................................................... 10

American Mariachi Play Guide by Cameron Abaroa

For questions about the guide, please contact education@arizonatheatre.org

SUPPORT FOR ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY’S LEARNING

& EDUCATION PROGRAMMING

The David C. and Lura M. Lovell Foundation Dr. Mary Jo Ghory

Sue and Cliff Blinmann City of Tempe Arts and Culture

Cox Charities at Arizona Community

Foundation

The Employee Community Fund of Boeing

Arizona

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Resolution Copper Mining Stonewall Foundation

Want to be a sponsor of ATC’s Learning & Education programming? Contact our Director of

Philanthropy, Julia Waterfall-Kanter, at jwkanter@arizonatheatre.org

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ABOUT ATC

The mission of Arizona Theatre Company is to inspire, engage, and entertain –

one moment, one production, and one audience at a time.

Under new leadership – and now celebrating its 52nd-season – Arizona Theatre Company is truly

“The State Theatre.” Our company boasts the largest subscriber base of any performing arts

organization in Arizona, with more than 130,000 people each year attending performances at the

historic Temple of Music and Art in Tucson, and the elegant Herberger Theater Center in

downtown Phoenix.

Each season of carefully selected productions reflects the rich variety of world drama – from

classic to contemporary plays, from musicals to new works – as audiences enjoy a rich emotional

experience that can only be captured through live theatre. ATC is the preeminent professional

theatre in the state of Arizona. Under the direction of Artistic Director David Ivers in partnership

with Managing Director Billy Russo, ATC operates in two cities – unlike any other League of

Resident Theaters (LORT) company in the country.

ATC shares the passion of the theatre through a wide array of outreach programs, educational

opportunities, access initiatives, and community events. Through the schools and summer

programs, ATC focuses on teaching Arizona’s youth about literacy, cultural development,

performing arts, specialty techniques used onstage, and opens their minds to the creative power of

dramatic literature. With approximately 450 Learning & Education activities annually, ATC

reaches far beyond the metropolitan areas of Tucson and Phoenix, enriching the theatre learning

experience for current and future audiences.

The Temple of Music and Art: The home of

ATC productions in downtown Tucson

The Herberger Theater Center: The home

of ATC productions in downtown Phoenix

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INTRODUCTION TO THE PLAY

By JOSÉ CRUZ GONZÁLEZ

Directed by CHRISTOPHER ACEBO

A vibrant new comedy from the mind of former Childsplay (Tempe, AZ) playwright-in-

residence José Cruz González. Spending her days caring for her ailing mother, Lucha yearns to

break her monotonous routine. Here’s a wild idea: an all-girl mariachi band! But it’s the 1970s,

and girls can’t be mariachis … or can they? As Lucha and her spunky cousin hunt for bandmates,

dodge disapproving relatives, and bring mom along for the ride, they wonder: Will the band

actually come together? As they practice, perform, and break with tradition, their music sparks a

transformation in the lives of those around them – especially Lucha’s parents. American

Mariachi is a heartwarming and hilarious new comedy about music’s power to heal and connect,

and the freedom to dream big. It features gorgeous live mariachi music that will send your heart

soaring and put a bounce in your step. Share this show with the ones you love and let its vibrant

music transform your lives too.

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NOTE FROM THE PLAYWRIGHT “Mariachi has been with me my whole life. When my mother cleaned the house on Saturdays,

we’d hear the music on her little record player. It was always in my family, but it wasn’t until

about nine years ago that I started studying it. I teach at Cal State Los Angeles, where I decided

to take a mariachi course. The play’s music director, Cindy Reifler Flores, taught the class. Little

by little, I reconnected with the joy of the music. It was out of studying with Cindy and other

mariachi teachers and listening to their stories that this journey began. American Mariachi is the

story of Lucha, who spends her days caring for her ailing mother but yearns to break her

monotonous routine. Here’s a wild idea: an all-girl mariachi band! But it’s the 1970s, and girls

can’t be mariachis...or can they? American Mariachi is a heartwarming and hilarious comedy

about family, progress, and the freedom to dream big that will send your heart soaring.”

- José Cruz González

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CAST AND CREATIVE CAST

Satya Jnani Chavez Hortensia “Boli” Perez

Danny Bolero* Federico Morales / Choir / Chuy

“Pepe” Bravo

Diana Burbano* Amalia Morales / Doña Lola

Sol Castillo* Mino Avila / Padre Flores / Customer

/ Holy Roller

Christen Gee Celaya* Lucha Morales

Alicia Coca Isabel Campos / Party Guest

Osiris Cuen Gabby Orozco / Berta / Customer

Esteban Dagnino Mariachi-Trumpet

Eduardo Enrikez*

Mateo Campos / Drunk Uncle / Choir

/ Holy Roller / Los Muchachos / René

/ Rubén

Francisco Javier Molina Mariachi-Violin

Stephanie Swift Molina Tía Carmen

Marlene Montes* Soyla Reyna / Sister Manuela / Party

Guest / Holy Roller

Ali Pizarro Mariachi- Vihuela

Antonio A. Pró Mariachi-Guitarrón

CREATIVE

Christopher Acebo Director

Cynthia Flores Music Director

Efren Delgadillo Jr. Scenic Designer

Kish Finnegan Costume Designer

Brian Jerome Peterson Sound Designer

Bruno Ingram* Production Stage Manager

*Denotes members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage

Managers in the United States.

Denotes artists included in the ATC’s Arizona Artists Initiative.

ARIZONA ARTISTS INITIATIVE is a new initiative that furthers ATC’s commitment to our community

and the artists who live in Arizona, were born in Arizona, return or move to Arizona, or write about

Arizona. As the Official State Theatre of Arizona, we celebrate the impact Arizona has on the arts.

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HISTORICAL CONTEXT – MARIACHI IN THE USA The tradition of Mariachi has its roots in music older that the United States itself, and much like

the Americas, it developed with the intersection of cultures.

With the colonization of the Americas by Spain throughout the 15th and 16th century, western

music was brought to the indigenous peoples such as the Aztecs, who mixed European styles and

tribal music. With the arrival of African slaves during the Spanish occupation, African musical

traditions mixed yet again with those of the Europeans and of the indigenous peoples.

The first instance of the word “Mariachi” to describe this unique blend of musical styles appears

in the writings of Father Cosme Santa Anna in 1852. By then, of course, the U.S. had acquired

much of Mexico in the Mexican-American War, and many of the former residents of Mexico

were now U.S. Nationals, officially bringing Mexican traditions, including mariachi, to the

United States of

America.

Mariachi as we know

it today, with the

famous trajes and

five-person groups,

really developed in

the 1920s-1930’s in

Mexico City, which

spread quickly

through Mexico and

the American West,

and became

internationally

recognized through

the dissemination of

movies, television, and

radio.

According to Mariachi Music, the official site for Mariachi Vargas, the leading mariachi network

in the U.S., “Mariachi Uclatlán, founded in 1961 at the University of California at Los Angeles

(UCLA) Institute of Ethnomusicology, pioneered the academic mariachi tradition, and today

educational institutions throughout the Southwest offer classes in mariachi music. Mariachi

Cobre, the first prominent Mexican-American mariachi group, was founded in Tucson, Arizona

in 1971 (Mariachi Music in the U.S., n.d.).”

“In 1979, a U.S. mariachi movement was born at the First International Mariachi Conference

held in San Antonio, Texas. Since then, mariachi festivals and conferences have proliferated in

the United States; Mexico celebrated its first international mariachi festival in 1994. Linda

Members of a mariachi band march in the Fiestas Patrias Parade in Seattle,

Washington, in 2015. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

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Ronstadt's 1987 album, Canciones de mi padre, heralded the creation of a new audience for

mariachi music among non-Hispanics,” reports West Music (West Music, n.d.).

Mariachi has become a symbol of Mexican and Mexican-American tradition and pride. Today

throughout the U.S. and Mexico, Mariachi groups remind us of the blend of cultures, nations,

and peoples that have joined together to create music.

WORKS CITED Mariachi Music in the U.S. (n.d.). Mariachi Music in the U.S. Retrieved from Mariachi Vargas:

https://mariachimusic.com/about/history/us-mariachi-music/

West Music. (n.d.). A Brief History of the Mariachi Tradition. Retrieved from West Music:

http://content.westmusic.com/resources/brief-history-of-mariachi/

GLOSSARY OF SPANISH TERMS

GLOSARIO DE PALABRAS ESPAÑOLAS

José Cruz Gonzáles, the playwright, uses many common Spanish expressions to highlight the

reality of living bilingual,that is, fluently speaking two languages at the same time.

Doña – Mrs. In this case Mrs Cuqui, a neighbor of the Morales

Vieijto- “Little Old One”, a kindly diminutive referring to Mr. Sanchez.

Ama – an informal address for Mother (similar to the term “Mom”)

Donde está mi Tia Carmen? – “Where is my aunt Carmen?”

Cuando Viene? – When is she coming?

Tengo que cocinar – I must cook

La cena no ‘sta lista – the dinner is not ready ( ‘sta is used as a colloquialism of está)

Tu, quien eres? – who are you?

‘Apa – an informal address for Father (similar to the term “Dad”)

Que’s esto? - What is this? (note that Que’s is a contraction of que “what” and es “is”)

Que no la estabas cuidando? – You weren’t watching her?

Tienes solo una responsibilidad – You have only one job

Chamba – a gig

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Mi’ja – my daughter, a contraction of Mi Hija

Prima – a female cousin

Chilaquiles – a traditional Mexican dish consisting of tortillas, a red salsa or mole, and pulled

chicken. It also happens to be the preferred traditional dish of the author of this Study

Guide .

Traje – suit, used in the play to describe a traditional Mariachi suit.

Muy Guapo – Very Handsome

Fregona – literally “mop”. Used here as a term of endearment.

Mamita – literally “little mama”, used here as a term of endearment.

Chisme – gossip

Musica – Music

otra, otra! – another, another!

Mentirosa – liar, literally a female liar

por vida – for life

Gringos – Americans, specifically white Americans

Mariachi es tradicion, amor, y familia – Mariachi is Tradition, Love, and Family

Que estan haciendo? – What are you doing?

YA BASTA – stop it now!

Calmate, mi bella, calmate – literally “calm down, my beautiful one, calm down”

Despiertate, Lucha, Chingao! – Wake up Lucha! Come on!

Mujeres – Women

Demonios – Demons

Ay Dios Mio – Oh my god

Orale – Whoa!

Escuchame – listen to me

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ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM GUIDE Discussion Questions

1. What does Lucha want? Why does she want it?

2. Which of the band members do you most relate to, why or why not?

3. Why is Federico so against the mariachi band? What causes him to change his mind?

4. What is the biggest lesson you learned from this play?

Classroom Activities

Cuenta Tu Historia

Have students draw or act out their own experiences with discrimination or dealing with the

illness of a family member, whichever is most relevant to them. How did they handle the

challenge? Is the challenge still ongoing?

Mixing Cultures

Mariachi was developed from a mix of cultures. Using the information presented in the

Historical Context, start a discussion with your students about how working together, differences

can create incredible art and music.

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SECONDARY CLASSROOM GUIDE Discussion Questions

1. Why do Lucha, Boli, Isabel, Gabby, and Soyla join the band? How does each of them

change because of their involvement?

2. Which of the band members do you feel most connected to? Why?

3. What impact does Amalia’s demetia effect and change each character?

4. How does the use of Spanish impact each character’s interactions? How does this relate

to how we interact with those around us?

Classroom Activities

Mixing Cultures

Because Mariachi is a mixture of indigenous, European, and African music, it is a direct result of

colonization. Using mariachi as a base, track the colonization of Mexico and the United States,

and discuss how each culture arrived in the Americas. Let this be a springboard for a larger

discussion on mixing cultures and globalization today.

Compare and Contrast

Using the play, have students compare their own experiences with those of Lucha and the other

band members. Since the 70’s, what has changed? What has stayed the same?

Cuenta Tu Historia

Have students discuss or write about their own experiences with discrimination or dealing with

the illness of a family member, whichever is most relevant to them. How did they handle the

challenge? Is the challenge still ongoing? If a student cannot or would prefer not answer these

questions, have them answer instead “How am I like Federico? How am I like Lucha? What do I

need to do to overcome my own prejudices?”